Abomination of Desolation [closed]

Question

This question is for all denominations. This opens the question wide up and is broad, but as a seeker of truth, I am curious to know what each denomination teaches and considers doctrine about this topic.

I was reading this morning in The Book of Mormon:

Heleman 15:1 And now, my beloved brethren, behold, I declare unto you that except ye shall repent your houses shall be left unto you desolate.

As I was thus pondering on this verse, I was reminded of Daniel's Abomination of Desolation as referenced in Matthew 24:

Matthew 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

I have had a question about the Abomination of Desolation for a couple years, and with that verse things have started to come to light, and I would like other viewpoints from my own. The only additional scripture I have found about the Abomination of Desolation is in the Doctrine and Covenants, which reads in part:

D&C 88:85 That their souls may escape the wrath of God, the desolation of abomination which awaits the wicked, both in this world and in the world to come...

The Abomination of Desolation is awaiting the wicked, as I read further in Daniel:

Dan. 11:31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.

and

Dan. 12:11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.

My conclusion from what I have read is, as one pollutes the sanctuary of strength, and replaces the daily sacrifice with abomination, the desolation comes upon the wicked. There is a similar question with great answers, but it doesn't fully answer my question.

Question: What is the sanctuary of strength and the daily sacrifice? By so knowing this, it will be easier to avoid bringing this upon myself.

Answer 1

From a Catholic perspective: The primary standard translation of the Bible used by Catholics in the United States is the New American Bible, Revised Edition, which is available on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The translation of Matt. 24:15 reads:

“When you see the desolating abomination spoken of through Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),

There is a footnote to the words "desolating abomination", which reads:

The desolating abomination: in 167 B.C. the Syrian king Antiochus IV Epiphanes desecrated the temple by setting up in it a statue of Zeus Olympios (see 1 Mc 1:54). That event is referred to in Dn 12:11 LXX as the “desolating abomination” (NAB “horrible abomination”) and the same Greek term is used here; cf. also Dn 9:27; 11:31. Although the desecration had taken place before Daniel was written, it is presented there as a future event, and Matthew sees that “prophecy” fulfilled in the desecration of the temple by the Romans. In the holy place: the temple; more precise than Mark’s where he should not (Mk 13:14). Let the reader understand: this parenthetical remark, taken from Mk 13:14 invites the reader to realize the meaning of Daniel’s "prophecy."

Thus, the standard Catholic interpretation is that "the desolating abomination" ("the abomination of desolation" in the translation you use) is used by Jesus to speak of the desecration and destruction of the temple. Luke (21:20) has a similar idea:

When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know that its desolation is at hand.

I'd also be interested in seeing answers from other Christian perspectives.